Makeup artist
invoice template

Makeup artists invoice brides, bridal parties, photographers and production companies for trials, event makeup and shoot days. Below is a ready-made makeup artist invoice template, with worked example lines, the VAT and payment rules that apply, and the mistakes that most often delay payment.

What goes on a makeup artist invoice

Show the trial, each person made up on the day, early start or travel fees, and for shoots, the day rate and agency reference.

Line by line: Bridal trial, 1 × £80.00 = £80.00; Bridal makeup on the day, 1 × £150.00 = £150.00; Bridesmaid makeup, 3 × £60.00 = £180.00; Early start before 7am, 1 × £40.00 = £40.00. The subtotal is £450.00. The example assumes you are not VAT registered, so there is no VAT and the total due is £450.00. The figures are illustrative, not a price guide, so use your own rates.

The legal minimum is the same for every trade. GOV.UK says an invoice needs a unique number, your business name and address, the customer's name and address, a description of the work, the supply date and invoice date, the amount charged, VAT if you charge it, and the total due. This template lays each of those out for makeup artists; for the detail, read what a UK invoice must include.

Give each invoice the next number in a single sequence and never reuse one. A cancelled invoice keeps its number and is cancelled with a credit note. If you want a format that stays tidy for years, try the invoice number generator.

How makeup artists price their work

Per person for events with trials priced separately; day rates for shoots and productions; early starts and travel extra.

Keep the pricing visible. Each line should show the quantity, the unit and the rate, so the customer can match it to the quote. To set rates that cover your costs and your tax, try the day rate calculator; for materials and stock you resell, the profit margin calculator shows the margin you really make.

Agree this before you start

Agree the trial, the schedule on the day, the number of people, skin sensitivities, travel and early-start charges, and cancellation terms.

When to send a makeup artist invoice

Deposit at booking, trial at the trial, balance before or on the day.

An invoice sent on the day tends to be paid on time; one sent weeks later tends to be paid weeks later. Email it as a PDF and keep a copy. The invoice due date calculator shows exactly when payment falls due under your terms.

VAT on makeup artist invoices

Makeup services are standard-rated for a VAT-registered artist.

Once you are VAT registered, charge 20% on your fee and on everything you recharge with it, from travel to hire equipment. Below the £90,000 threshold, you do not register and your invoices should not show VAT.

Registration is compulsory once taxable turnover in the last 12 months passes £90,000, or when you expect to pass it within the next 30 days. Check your position with the VAT registration checker; until then, see invoicing without a VAT number.

Who makeup artists invoice

Private bookings are consumer contracts: be clear up front about deposits, cancellation charges and what is included, and keep the invoice consistent with those terms. When a venue or company books you, get their purchase order and invoicing address first.

Production companies and photographers pay on invoice with their job number; brides usually pay directly.

Recharging costs and expenses

When you agreed to pass on costs, list them separately: mileage at an agreed rate, parking, materials or anything bought for the customer. The recharge is income and the cost is an expense, both in full. Registered businesses charge VAT on the recharge as part of their service; a true disbursement, paid as the customer's agent, is the narrow exception. Use the mileage calculator to value your business miles.

Contracts, dates and cancellations

Before any wedding or party booking, put the essentials in writing: the date, the timings, the services included, the deposit and whether it is refundable, the balance date and your cancellation charges. Charges must reflect your real loss, not a penalty. Then invoice in line with the contract, always showing what has already been paid.

Deposits, stages and cancellations

Deposits secure the date.

Take a deposit to hold the date and invoice the balance well before the day, so payment is never chased at the event itself. The final invoice should show the full price, the deposit received and the amount still due.

Payment terms for makeup artists

For weddings, the balance is usually paid on the morning or a week before; productions and photographers pay on 30-day terms against a job number.

Between businesses, the default when nothing is agreed is 30 days from receipt of the invoice or the work, whichever comes later, and agreed terms should not normally exceed 60 days. Late business payers owe statutory interest at 8% above Bank Rate plus fixed compensation per invoice; the late payment interest calculator does the sums. Private individuals are not covered by that Act, so agree your terms with them in writing before the work starts.

Getting paid faster

Put everything the customer needs to pay on the invoice: your bank name, account name, sort code and account number, and the reference to use, normally the invoice number. Give a due date, not just "on receipt". Then follow a routine: a reminder the day after the due date, another a week later, and a firmer letter after two weeks. Most late payment is disorganisation, not refusal, and a routine fixes it. Invoice payment terms compares the common options, and the due date calculator turns them into a date.

If a customer disputes the invoice

When a customer queries an invoice, reply quickly and in writing, quote the quote or agreement, and ask them to pay the part they accept while you resolve the rest. A credit note can settle a partial dispute cleanly. Unpaid after reminders? Send a letter before action with a final date; in England and Wales, claims up to £10,000 can then go to the small claims track. Invoice disputes and small claims for an unpaid invoice have the detail.

Common makeup artist invoicing mistakes

• Not charging for early starts. A 5am start for a large bridal party is a real cost; state an early start fee in your terms.
• Letting party numbers drift. Confirm the number of people in writing a few weeks before, and adjust the invoice then.
• Skipping patch tests or allergy checks. Record skin sensitivities and any patch tests at the trial, and keep the record with the booking.
• Leaving out the due date. "Payment due within 14 days" or a date on the invoice gives you something to chase against. Without one, business customers default to 30 days.
• Losing track of what is unpaid. Chase on the day after the due date, not a month later; the guide to chasing an unpaid invoice has the wording.

Checklist before you send it

A quick check before sending saves a chase later:

• The invoice number is the next in your sequence and has never been used.
• The customer's name and address are right, with their purchase order or reference if they use one.
• Each line shows what was done, the quantity, the unit and the rate.
• The subtotal and total add up, and VAT appears only if you are VAT registered.
• The invoice date, a due date and your bank details are on it.
• A copy is saved with your records before you press send.

Keep a copy of every invoice

Your invoices are the evidence behind the income on your tax return, so keep a copy of every one. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax makes that digital: from 6 April 2026 for qualifying income over £50,000, from April 2027 over £30,000, and from April 2028 over £20,000, with quarterly updates to HMRC. Check your start date with the MTD requirement checker.

Download the makeup artist invoice template

Download it as a Word document for Word or Google Docs, as an Excel workbook whose totals are live formulas, or as a print-ready PDF. Prefer to fill it in on screen? The free invoice generator opens pre-filled with the example makeup artist lines, lets you choose a template and colour, and makes a finished PDF in a minute, with nothing stored.

For the tax side of the trade, from allowable expenses to Making Tax Digital, read the self-employed makeup artist tax guide. A TapTax account, free to start, keeps your invoices and records together and files your quarterly updates to HMRC.